Glenn's Guitar
by Whumpy
Summary: Written for TWD kinkmeme prompt: 'I really want to see a story where Daryl has some kind of hidden talent. I love the idea of him being a great singer or musician. The story can be about anything, I just want everyone to see how talented Daryl is at something other than hunting please.' Not my usual cup of tea, but it was fun to write. Some cussing. Fluffy, friendly oneshot.


Daryl tilted the chair back, his legs out straight and feet crossed at the ankles as they rested on one of the cafeteria tables. He had just come off watch duty fifteen minutes before and he had been so damned hungry that he was now finishing up his second bowl of potato soup. Carol and Maggie had cut up chunks of Spam and added it to the soup and Daryl thought that it actually tasted quite good. Of course, he'd never been one to turn up his nose at a good slice of Spam.

He took his empty bowl into the kitchen and stuck it in the sink. The dishes wouldn't be washed until later that evening when the big prison generator was turned on for a short time. Daryl stretched and yawned. It was only early evening but he was tired so he headed for his mattress in hopes of catching a bit of sleep.

He had started down the hall past the cells that had been claimed by the other members of the group when a horrendous sound assaulted his ears and he winced. It came from the cell Glenn and Maggie shared and it took Daryl a moment to recognize that it was a guitar making that noise and not a dying animal. No one else seemed to be in their cells this early in the evening and he he considered them lucky. Glenn's attempt at playing the guitar was absolutely awful. Daryl walked by the cell occupied by Glenn and Maggie unnoticed and made his way up the metal stairs to the landing he had claimed as his living quarters. He refused to sleep in a cell. Cells felt too much like cages and Daryl Dixon didn't do cages.

He flopped down on his mattress and closed his eyes. Glenn had stopped reaming on the guitar and Daryl was starting to drift off to sleep when the damn racket started up again. It was torture just listening to the noise the obviously out-of-tune guitar was making. Daryl grabbed a pair of socks out of his rucksack and balled one up in each hand. He laid back on the mattress and held them tightly to his ears to block out Glenn's attack on his sense of hearing. It didn't work. The screeching of the guitar cut right through the layers of cotton and put his teeth on edge.

Daryl groaned, threw the socks aside and jumped up off the mattress. He was going to put a stop to this. He hurried down the steps and walked quickly down the cement corridor, coming to an abrupt halt outside of the cell that Glenn and Maggie occupied. He stepped inside.

"Torturin' people 's against the law, ya know." Daryl said firmly as he held out his hand. "Give it here."

Glenn looked down at the guitar in his lap and then at Daryl. "What? Why?"

Maggie giggled. She knew why. Glenn's guitar playing just plain sucked.

"Now!" Daryl barked.

Glenn thrust the guitar towards the angry redneck and then pressed himself against the cell wall. He was sure that Daryl was going to smash the guitar into tiny little pieces and he didn't want to get hit with any shrapnel. He was surprised when Daryl sat down on the bunk and looked the instrument over.

"This is a nice guitar," Daryl said as he strummed it and then started fiddling with the tuners. "Gibson J-200," he said as he strummed and then turned the tuners. "but its way outta tune."

Glenn and Maggie both watched with fascination as Daryl listened intently as he strummed the guitar and worked the tuners with nimble fingers. After a few minutes of strumming and adjusting tuners and strumming some more Daryl ran his thumb across the strings.

"There." he said. "Much better." He closed his eyes and played the beginning of 'Stairway to Heaven'. When he opened his eyes he noticed Maggie and Glenn staring at him. You would think they'd never seen anyone play the guitar before. He smirked as he continued to play the Led Zeppelin song. "Sort a cliché', ain't it?" he remarked. "I mean, everyone plays this one."

"I'm impressed." Maggie said with a smile.

"Don't be," Daryl said. "'Stairway ta Heaven' is easy as shit ta play."

"Can you play 'Sweet Home Alabama'?" Maggie asked.

"Does a bear shit in the woods?" Daryl responded and the room came alive with the sound of Lynyrd Skynrd's anthem to the South.

Maggie started singing and then Daryl joined in.

Glenn was astounded. Daryl couldn't just play the guitar really well, he could sing well, too!

Daryl finished the song and was handing the guitar back to Glenn when the other members of the group appeared in the hallway outside Glenn and Maggie's cell.

"Wow, Glenn!" Carl exclaimed. "The last time I heard you playing that guitar I thought someone was killing an animal. You sure have improved!"

Glenn blushed.

"He sure has, " Daryl said and he stood up to leave.

"It was Daryl." Glenn blurted out. "Not me. Daryl!"

There were murmurs from the other members of the group and Maggie stood up and blocked Daryl's retreat. "Come on, Daryl. That was really, really good. Sit on down and play a few more. Please?"

"Seriously," T-Dog said. "I want to see this.

Daryl blushed. He had meant to do one of two things when he had initially entered the cell to confiscate the guitar.  
Option 1. Tune the guitar and leave.  
Option 2. Grab the guitar from Glenn, smash it to smithereens and leave.  
He had not planned on the passion he'd had for playing to be rekindled by holding a well made, high quality guitar in his hands. He was rusty, he hadn't played for a few years, but it was like riding a bicycle. It all came back quickly.

People were crowding into the cell and Daryl started feeling a bit panicked and claustrophobic.

Thank God Rick noticed that. "Lets move this party down to the cafeteria." he suggested.

The group all murmured their approval and after some coaxing, Daryl found himself sitting in a chair in the cafeteria, playing the guitar while the others sat around at the tables and listened and made requests.

Daryl surprised everyone with his ability to play the guitar and to sing. Who would have thought that these were skills that the rough-around-the-edges hunter would possess? Daryl couldn't believe he was actually playing and singing in front of the group, and he was even more surprised to find that he was actually enjoying it.

Carol asked Daryl if he knew any Beatles songs and he played and sang 'While My Guitar Gently Weeps' and 'Yellow Submarine'. Other requests came flying at him and he played about twenty songs including some Clapton, Eagles, Allman Brothers and Tom Petty. Everyone had gradually started singing along as Daryl's impromptu concert had picked up steam and Beth had wowed everyone with her singing voice yet again.

Daryl's fingers started to cramp and his throat was getting dry, even though Carol had been bringing him glasses of water one after the other and he finally sighed and said, "Show's over."

There were disappointed 'aww's and 'just one more?'s, but Daryl had decided it was time to shut things down. "Nah, gotta stop. Feels like mah fingers is gonna fall off." he said.

The group started to disperse as he put the guitar into the case. They stopped briefly and commented about how talented he was and how it had been so much fun to have this little 'sing along'.

Daryl had sheepishly thanked them and said maybe they could do it again sometime.

Everyone had left except Glenn and Maggie and Daryl grabbed the guitar case by the handle and held it out to Glenn. "Thanks fer lettin' me use this. It was real nice to play one again after all this time."

Glenn grinned and waved Daryl off. "Keep it." he said.


End file.
